National Public Radio's Krulwich episode on an Aspie

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Check out this link to a podcast or audio stream. http://www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab/episodes/2008/12/05

I just listened to the segment about the Frowners. Everyone on Wrong Planet should listen! There is also a short discussion thread on that same page. Be sure to read it. The issues discussed are fascinating and of interest to all of us who visit Wrong Planet. I would be interested to hear any reaction to it. I don't want to reveal any more at this point so as not to be a spoiler. I will join the discussion after it starts.

Thanks for posting this - interesting story!

Speaking as one who grew up undiagnosed & "mainstreamed" simply because no one even considered that there might be an alternative - I agree with the father that Emanuel didn't need to be treated as though there was something wrong with him (if that's what is implied by "special classes"), but not necessarily that he needed to be home schooled.

The father did what he did - and things didn't turn out too badly. If Emanuel had been diagnosed at an early age & placed in a "gifted & talented" program, things might have turned out better - since he would have had the opportunity to learn better socialization skills. Or, the father's fears could have been confirmed & Emanuel would have been treated as disabled - which probably would have been worse for him than the bullying.

There is never any excuse to allow bullying (or for teachers to be insensitive to it - it's addressed in every teacher training curriculum) - so by pulling Emanuel out of school, it removed his immediate problem, but didn't address the more important issue - the bullies are just going to find someone else to pick on. Instead, his father could have insisted that school officials do their jobs & take a stand against bullying and also teach the teachers to how to spot bullying & put a stop to it.

Even though it appears that his father did an excellent job of educating him - his father was clearly not equipped to help him to learn socialization skills.

@ Zeichner-

Thanks for the feedback! I am of similar age as you and (although mild and not diagnosed) probably had a similar situation viz. school. My nephews and niece were home schooled by by brother and sister-in-law. They were not on the spectrum, although one has been dx'd bipolar. They were all gifted (I'm sure) and did very well on their GED tests. I used to worry about their socialization a little, but they had other outlets for that. They met with other kids who were home schooled, as an example. I suffered some bullying, but not nearly as much as Emmanuel. I wonder how I would have turned out if I had been home schooled. Do you think you would have been better off? What did you think of the discussion at the link site?

@ Max-

Welcome to Wrong Planet! I haven't posted much, but I have really enjoyed the site since finding it through a Google search. Try the search feature here at W.Planet! It's really well done. I bet the Frowners would benefit enormously from this site. Especially Emmanuel's mother. If you read the discussion at the link site, you will know what I mean.

I think the father was right about most of his decisions. He probably wasn't aware of Asperger's before the diagnosis. However, he should have found some social outlets for Emmanuel, like an Astronomy club, for example. I once joined a club for people who enjoy bicycling. I have found a surprising number of clubs for specialized interests, even before the WWWeb. Now that the net is around, it would be even easier to find one. Church could be another source of social interaction. For those who are not religious, I understand the many Unitarian-Universalist churches welcome agnostics and atheists.

@Rocky - I think my parents would have been ill-equipped to teach me at home, so I just don't know if it would have been better for me - but I think not.

Aside from the teasing & bullying I experienced (mostly in elementary school), I rather enjoyed being with other kids. The only friends I had while growing up were people I met at school. Also, the bullying stopped once I mastered the skill of looking people in the eye (I still got teased a fair bit, though.)

I've never been much of a joiner - most everything I've ever joined seemed to be just another opportunity for others to push me aside. The only exception was drum & bugle corps - where I excelled as a drummer. I didn't really make any close friends while I was a member, but it has since proved to be a good conversation-starter when I meet other people who were/are involved in drum corps. (Similar to the way I view my time in the Army - it's a good frame of reference to use, since even people who were never in the military at least know someone who was.)

Home schooling holds a lot of good potential, especially when done right. I have a friend from college who home-schooled her kids (she has a degree in music education, same as me) - at least through elementary school. After that, she didn't feel she was qualified (even with a degree in education) & also, wanted her kids to have the socialization of middle/high school.

@ Zeichner-

More similarities! I thought I wanted to be a teacher (English) until I tried it in the Student Teaching program. As you know, that was the last part of the course in Education. I enjoyed the classes, and still feel my B.A. in English was worth the time and effort. Communication and reading skills are so important, even if the degree didn't lead to a career. I never joined the military. I came close once. I wanted to be trained in Aviation Electronics by joining the Navy. One of the last parts of the process was a test for color blindness. That ruled out the training. I suspect I would have found the military hard to take. How was it for you?

I also was not much of a joiner. The bicycle club was an exception. In school I had only a few close friends. I preferred to spend most of my free time reading and enjoying long walks in the woods. I was a big fan of Henry David Thoreau.

I see you live in the North. My family is from South Dakota. I enjoyed visiting during the summer but would hate to have to deal with the winters. Have you ever attended a performance a Prairie Home Companion? I am a fan of the show and Garrison Keelor.

If I had known about AS at the time I was in the Army, I would have called it "Aspie Heaven." Aside from the first 8 weeks basic training (hard on everyone), it was as close as I'll ever come to a perfectly controlled environment. There is a manual for everything - so the rules are written out explicitly for every activity, including personal interactions. The clothes are comfortable (mostly loose cotton.) No one can touch you without your permission. I was in the band, so we all had music as a common interest. I even socialized with some of my fellow band members (although I've lost contact with them since I got out.)

Winter in Minnesota is unpleasant, since I hate the cold & am not interested in any snow-related activities. But it is tolerable. And yes, I have been to a live PHC performance - in the '80s, when the World (now called the Fitzgerald) Theater was being renovated, so it was in the Orpheum. It's an interesting experience, but I think I had my eyes closed most of the time (it's a radio show, after all.)

I am glad your Army experience was a good one. As I implied, I never joined the military, so I wouldn't know. I have a family member (bi-polar) who had an awful experience in the military and had to leave it pre-maturely. I am sure conditions vary wildly for those who sign up.

These days one can experience a lot virtually (You Tube, Hi-Def broadcasts etc.) but there is nothing quite like a live performance.

Well, early day tomorrow. Thanks for the feed back.